Before He Knew It
by FuryOfTheBlackbird
Summary: A story of falling in love. AlanxEric oneshot.


Another tumblr request I wanted to share with y'all. If you want to make a request too, please check out my tumblr, checkeredtablesloth. Enjoy the story!

* * *

 **Before He Knew It**

"Bored." Eric hit his head against the edge of Alan's desk with a dull thud. Alan expertly adjusted his writing to compensate for the sudden movement.

"Then find something to do." He said without looking up from his work, pretending that this feeling of restlessness had not settled upon him too. Whether it was the contagiousness of Eric's desire to get out of the office, or the low mellow heat of English summer, Alan could not be sure. "Doesn't Ronald usually head to the pub on Friday nights? Why don't you go join him?" Eric scoffed.

"Nah, he's out chasin' that dark haired lass from General Affairs." He answered. "Hasn't been out to pub for weeks."

"What about William?" Alan suggested, still concentrated on his work.

"Are you seriously suggestin' I go out with Spears?" Eric leaned back in his chair. "I'd have a better time with a wet fish."

"Grell?"

"Now you're not even trying."

"Yeah, not really." Alan admitted.

"Tell me a story."

"What?"

"A story, I want you to tell me one."

"Will you be quiet after?"

"Yes." Eric answered after a pause.

"Fine, I'll tell you a story." Alan said, with mock reluctance.

"About what?"

"How we met." He said, a little smile spreading across his face as he began.

* * *

It was in a summer, so many years ago that several generations of mortal men had come to pass since. The beginnings of a warm breeze had begun to pass through the realm, and the Ericas were in full bloom.

Alan stepped into the sunshine, his brown hair ruffled by the wind. He lifted a hand to shield his bright green eyes from the blinding rays. Things were different back then. The thorns had not yet wrapped their way around his heart, and his mind still ignorant of the death and suffering he would soon observe. It was an exciting time for him, having just graduated the academy and received his death scythe. He was about to meet his mentor who he had been told was on their way, though by now they were now approximately twenty minutes late, and Alan was starting to lose his patience.

"Alan Humphries is it?" The voice came as a surprise, though Alan tried not to show it.

"That's me." He said, turning to see the figure of a tall blond man standing before him.

"Nice tae meet ye. The name's Eric, I'll be your mentor." Eric extended a hand greeting, and Alan shook it tentatively.

"The pleasure's all mine." At the time Alan was unsure what to think of him. From the way his death scythe was slung over his shoulder, to the looseness of his tie, everything about him was the exact opposite of what the academy taught him a reaper should be. Though despite his appearance, there was an air of charm about him that seemed to pull Alan towards him.

"You musta done something right if they put you in Collections right away." He said as they began to walk. "Takes real talent for them to do that. " Eric's eyes drifted towards Alan's death scythe. "Wassat? A meat cleaver on a stick?"

"Huh? This?" Alan held up his death scythe. "It's a Japanese style slashing tool. I thought it would be efficient." Eric grinned.

"Smart, and talented." He said, patting Alan on the shoulder, a little more enthusiastically than Alan had expected. "I think I'm going to like you." Alan smiled. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that. Perhaps when he was a human child, before the sickness, before the solitude that crippled his mind and drove him to take his own life.

"So, how'd ya kick the bucket?" Alan was taken aback by the abruptness of Eric's question, as most reapers kept the exact details of their deaths hidden in shame and would have abhorred such an invasive and personal question. Nonetheless, he answered.

"The rope." It felt strange to talk about his own death so casually, though something told him Eric intended this. Eric momentarily glanced at the sky, which today was a stunning azure.

"Hm. Well that was surprisingly fitting."

"What about you?"

"Bullet to the head, the quick and painless way. Not for the janitor though." He chuckled, and Alan laughed along with him. "Poor guy was cleanin' for weeks."

"I've never met a reaper that talked so lightly about their own death." Alan remarked. "It's refreshing." Eric shrugged.

"It's always good to have a sense of humour about these things." He said. "Why be ashamed if it was a different person that did it."

"That's very wise."

"Glad ya' think so. Most take me as rude." Eric looked at him and their eyes met. The world could have vanished in that moment and Alan wouldn't have noticed.

Suddenly coming to his senses, he quickly looked away, hoping to whatever higher powers there were that he had not stared too long. Alan looked around, unable to recognize where they were. "Where are we going, anyways?" He asked.

"Got orders tae take ye to get a new pair a' glasses." Eric replied.

"New glasses?"

"You sound disappointed."

"What? Of course I'm not." Alan protested, his cheeks turning a light red.

"I'm just teasin'." Eric pat him on the shoulder again, but this time he was prepared. "They're cute on ya. But the one's you're going to get soon'll look even better." Alan's heart would have skipped a beat if there had been a heart still beating in his body.

Any other time, such behavior would have made Alan furious. He'd never had patience for teasing in such a manner, but there was something about the way Eric pulled it off that made it charming in a way. It was a strange feeling that he didn't fully understand at the time, but before he knew it, he'd fallen in love.

* * *

The end of his story was met with the loud and drawn out sound of Eric's snoring. Sometime during the story, he'd evidently fallen asleep. He was slumped on the desk, head resting on his folded arms. Alan rolled his eyes, but did so with a wide smile on his face. Without a sound he removed his coat, and placed it gently on the sleeping man's body. Perhaps he would have to make a habit of keeping a blanket in his office. And with that, Alan leaned over and tenderly kissed him on the forehead. If only this moment could last forever, he thought.


End file.
